Sweet Potato Offers Mesothelioma Patients Nutrient Boost

My parents and older siblings spent several years in Peru before I was born. And they ate a lot of sweet potatoes because they were cheap and plentiful.

Sweet potatoes are good sources of carbohydrates, fiber, micronutrients, vitamins A and C and riboflavin. Because sweet potatoes are rich in natural sugars and starches, they are higher in calories than similar vegetables such as pumpkin.

Facts About the Amazing Sweet Potato

Some interesting facts about the delicious and curious root vegetable:

Despite its name, the sweet potato is not related to the potato.

Despite a physical similarity, sweet potatoes and yams are not related either.

The sweet potato belongs to the morning glory family, which has funnel-shaped flowers (usually white and purple) that grow on a vine. The roots of many of these vines can be used as food.

Most sweet potato production is in the southern United States.

There are more than 8,000 varieties of sweet potato.

Ways to Prepare Sweet Potatoes

My mom said they used to steam sweet potatoes, then add butter and salt.

Sometimes, they would bake them just like white potatoes. For a special treat, they would melt mini marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes. We still enjoy this delicious dish at Thanksgiving each year.

The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests the following uses of sweet potatoes on their website:

“Cubes of fresh squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes are delicious in stir-fries and stews, and mix well with many different flavor combinations. All three choices are also terrific roasted in the oven, either alone or with other vegetables, drizzled with just a bit of olive oil; and you can cook them by steaming as well.”

Sweet Potato Pie

For many years, I avoided sweet potato pie. For some reason, I thought I wouldn’t like it. After all, why would you make pie from a potato? Boy, was I wrong. It was delicious!

Sweet Potato Wedges

Heat oven to 400 F. Peel sweet potatoes; cut in half crosswise and then into wedges about 1 inch wide. Crush garlic clove in its skin.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with garlic, olive oil, thyme, crushed red pepper and salt. Roast about 30 minutes until soft. For crispy wedges, try turning on the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end of the bake time.

Jennifer Mia has been writing and editing for more than 15 years. She has worked for newspapers, magazines and online publications. When she was in college, she lost a brother to cancer, and now she writes blogs for The Mesothelioma Center. Jennifer hopes that her writing brings some small amount of hope and healing to the many men and women who are forced to deal with this horrible cancer.